Wheel and track arrangements in vehicles have been developed and improved to increase the dexterity of these vehicles. In industrial applications for example, such as forklifts and tractors, the maneuverability of vehicles can be improved by the provision of omnidirectional wheels. One such wheel design is the Mecanum Wheel, which has been used in forklifts, wheelchairs, and other applications.
FIG. 1 is a prior art illustration shown a Mecanum Wheel 10. As shown, the wheel 10 includes oval football-shaped rollers 12, angled on a wheel frame 14. Because of the shape of the rollers, only a point contact on the outer circumference of each roller contacts a given surface when in operation. This results in a reduced ability to navigate cracks and ridges in a given surface. Additionally, cracks and ridges produce additional wear on the rollers 12. Additionally, because of the shape of the Mecanum wheel, vehicles employing this wheel have a raised profile. The prior art does not teach a low profile compact omnidirectional vehicle with optimized maneuverability.